NFL Week 3 Afternoon Window Recap: 49ers and Vikings Stay Unbeaten
Sunday's afternoon window featured just two games, and both unbeaten teams had to work harder than expected to stay perfect. Here's how each one played out on Sunday, Sept. 27.
49ers 36, Cardinals 30
San Francisco jumped out to a 14-0 lead but needed a late score to hold off Arizona and improve to 3-0. After two dominant wins to open the season, the 49ers found themselves in a tight game as the Cardinals clawed back behind quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who threw two touchdown passes. One of those was a five-yard score to Michael Wilson that capped an eight-minute drive and cut the lead to 23-13 late in the third quarter.
The game's key moment came with 1:36 left, when the 49ers called a play-action rollout on second-and-10 and Brock Purdy hit George Kittle for a 20-yard touchdown, his second of the day. That came just a few plays after a Kittle holding penalty had wiped out Purdy's 45-yard touchdown run, according to Niners Wire. Purdy finished with 297 passing yards and four touchdown passes. Arizona kicked a field goal with 34 seconds left, but San Francisco recovered the onside kick to close it out.
The win came at a cost. Receiver Mike Evans was carted off late in the second quarter with a rib injury, and left tackle Trent Williams was carted off early in the third. Neither returned. The game was also the 166th of Kyle Shanahan's head coaching career, tying Bill Walsh for the most in franchise history. The 49ers host the Denver Broncos on Oct. 4.
Vikings 23, Buccaneers 16
Minnesota improved to 3-0 despite losing star receiver Justin Jefferson after its first possession. The Vikings grabbed an early 10-0 lead before Baker Mayfield found Ted Hurst III for a 40-yard touchdown, Tampa Bay's biggest play of the season so far. A Chase McLaughlin field goal tied the game at 10 in the second quarter.
The play that swung the game came just before halftime, when the Vikings answered with a deep touchdown pass to Jordan Addison that broke the 10-10 tie. Tampa Bay stayed within striking distance after defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson made a diving interception of a deflected pass in the third quarter, but the Buccaneers could only turn it into a field goal.
The loss dropped Tampa Bay to 0-3, and Mayfield was also banged up during the game. The Buccaneers host the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 4.
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